I'm immensely happier with camera controls since I discovered them all...too bad they're not mentioned in the tutorial or even the ReadMe! Mouse3-panning is great for getting a different perspective on the strategic situation (though this really should be easier), and hitting "C" twice with a unit selected give you, basically, the Homeworld camera focused on that unit.

This game is deep and highly accessable. You feel like there are a lot of strategic options always at hand and you really have to think and micro-manage to win. It creates some truely intence moments (namely on the ground).

I like the tactical part of the space battles -- it keeps you on your toes and it really establishes a sence of worth to every single unit in the battle -- you really don't want to lose anything.

Here's what I don't like:

Space battle control very sloppily. After playing Homeworld and Homeworld 2, I have to say that in Empire at War I feel like there is this wierd "Disconnect" between me and my units. With Homeworld I found being in the heat of the battle and micromanaging my units to be infinately tighter.

Furthermore, the camera is painful -- I think my first problem is largly caused by the camera being so far away. Since when did a Nebulon-B Frigate look so small?? Sure there's a sence of scale here but with the overhead camera is' all for naught. In this regard the game does a very terrible job capturing the size and nuance of each of the ships.

Next complaint: The space battles aren't 3D! The 3D engine is just a shinny coat of pain on a 2D battle system. Gamers have shown that they love 3D battles in homeworld and if they are like me, they've been pineing for more (Sadly Relic is making WWII games. WTF???)

Lastly, and perhaps this is the biggest sin of all: Space feels claustrophobic and remarkably un-grand. Homeworld did an awesome job at this -- you felt like you could fly forever in any direction and when you looked around space had a true sence of grand vastness. It was an amazing feeling in the homeworld universe to sit there, pan the camera about, watch your harvesters work away and feel truely alone. Not so in empire at war - the space feels more like a modified land battle than anything else.

Another thing that bugs me - there is way too much hand holding in this game. You can't place buildings on the ground wherever you want, you never really command your units from the main map - rather you just drag and drop little icons about. I hate having my hand held like this - it really destroys my ability to micro manage and really optimise every facet of my game. Instead I constantly feel forced down a very, very narrow path. It's too bad - in games like Starcraft I can recall brilliant tactics being twarted by even more brilliant building placement. While the hand holding speeds up gameplay it does so at the expence of a LOT of depth.

Overall though it's a pretty cool game. Just not nearlly as massive and awe-inspiring as it could be with such an unimaginably vast premis. But at least someones taking a stab at making this game - I've basically drempt of something like this for ages.

In all fairness, all the Homeworld MAPS were basically 2D, with only minor z-axis variations...so tactics ended up being very 2D anyways. I think Petroglyph's take on space combat streamlines things while preserving an element of 3D variation.

Yea, I found that in homeworld it got quite confusing and annoying having to move my units up and down, I prefer it this way because it means there is a bit less to worry about and I can concentrate more on the fighting.

Next complaint: The space battles aren't 3D! The 3D engine is just a shinny coat of pain on a 2D battle system.

They are technically "3D", but with the lack of a free-range camera, it does have a more overhead platform style of gameplay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipse CDN

Gamers have shown that they love 3D battles in homeworld and if they are like me, they've been pineing for more (Sadly Relic is making WWII games. WTF???)

Relic made rather modest gains on Homeworld:Cataclysm and Homeworld 2 compared to the original game in the series, making the possibility of a Homeworld 3 rather unlikely in the near future.

Now for my opinion: I love the space battles, especially since they are styled ala Battlefront II. After playing BFII, I was wishing for a RTS version and immediately homed in on EAW. My only big complaint is that the unit balancing is WAAAY off. I think the rebellion units are far too powerful compared to their Imperial counterparts.

A lot of good points have been made already in this thread. I definitely agree about the lack of movement options in space battles. It doesn't kill the game but it's quite a big thing to leave out, It just feels like your telling your ships to do this then you have to sit back and watch them do it rather than feeling your actually attacking something.

There are some balancing issues but I don't they are major, the right kind of micro management and you easily take apart the rebels or imperials.

All in all this looks a pretty solid game with only a few issues and most of those issues are just what people wanna see.